The Grandfather Paradox
by rach0486
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.
1. Part One

STARGATE SG-1: The Grandfather Paradox  
  
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.  
  
Season: Any.  
  
Spoilers: none that I can think of. If you spot any, let me know!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really).  
  
Author's Note: I was hoping to get this done in one chapter but I've ended up splitting it into 3 instead. Anyway, here's the first part. Hope you enjoy it! Please R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!  
  
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 1.  
  
19:30, August 10th.  
  
The green light surrounding Jack faded away for the last time. He was home, and thankfully so. He glanced around his office in Cheyenne Mountain, relieved to see the familiar sight of paper work and paper aeroplanes all over the floor. He carefully set the Canopic Jar down on his desk.  
  
Gradually, his heart rate began to slow to its natural pace, but he couldn't will the warmth back into his skin, nor stop every muscle in his body from shaking. His lungs had constricted to about a tenth of their normal capacity. Gasping for breath, Jack sank into the closest chair and ran the back of his hand across his forehead, removing a layer of cold sweat from his brow.  
  
Had he just done what his senses were telling him he had done? Was that really how it happened?  
  
Jack couldn't bring himself to even think about answering the myriad of questions that was swimming in his mind.  
  
That's when he noticed his hands; still shaking from shock and the ride back. His palms were mottled with a crimson liquid, some dried and turning darker, but still warm none the less.  
  
Blood.  
  
He quickly glanced over his tired attire, horrified to see the same sight seeping into his over shirt and fatigues. He couldn't hold back anymore. His well trained military façade broke down and was replaced by the shock- ridden wreck that he truly was at this point.  
  
He knew this was real ...  
  
*  
  
19:00, August 10th.  
  
"Receiving Tok'ra IDC," Simmons announced over the PA. "Opening the iris."  
  
Jack groaned quietly as the large metal shutter sprang back into wherever it was stored, exposing the shimmering blue light of the event horizon. After a moment, there was a slight disturbance – a ripple almost – before two men, dressed in beige, stepped onto the ramp of the earth Stargate.  
  
Jack recognised one of them as Jacob Carter – father to his 2IC, Major Samantha Carter. The other man, he didn't know. This second man carried a box – not unlike the one that held the dreaded armbands.  
  
'Great!' Jack thought to himself. 'More experiments. Might as well lock down the base and prep the infirmary now!'  
  
He hated it when these guys showed up like this, although seeing Jacob with them this time was reassuring. Being from earth himself; being an ex- USAF General; and having his daughter on the frontline of this endless war, Jacob was more prone to see things their way, rather than the almost kamikaze-like attitude usually employed by the Tok'ra.  
  
The usual welcomes were exchanged before Jacob and the other man were escorted to the briefing room.  
  
With a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Jack followed General Hammond and the rest of SG-1 up the stairs to greet their newly arrived guests.  
  
Carter – he noticed – was positively bounding up the stairs, clearly pleased to see her father. Although Jack shared her enthusiasm on seeing him, his scepticism for the Tok'ra's MO was heavily out-weighing his eagerness.  
  
"Hey kid," Jacob said in greeting to his daughter.  
  
It wasn't long before the informalities were over and the whole party was settled and ready to hear what grand suicide mission the Tok'ra had for them this time. Or, more specifically, for Jack.  
  
"We have recently discovered a minor Goa'uld who has mastered time travel," Labras announced plainly. Jacob had introduced Labras, a little earlier as one of the many Tok'ra scientists who worked on ... well, Jack hadn't really been listening to what he worked on, but Carter seemed fascinated.  
  
After his rather frank announcement, there was a stunned silence in the room for a moment, before Jack piped up.  
  
"We've already done that," he said proudly.  
  
"Without the use of a Stargate," Jacob clarified.  
  
Jack raised his eyebrows. Why did he get the feeling he was going to hate what was coming next?  
  
"The goa'uld in question, Wadjet, was thought to have been long dead," Jacob continued. "She had been an ally of Hathor in Ancient Egypt and when she was imprisoned, Wadjet was removed from her host and banished to an unpopulated world. No-one's quite sure where."  
  
Jack could feel his eyes glazing over as the 'history' lesson continued. He glanced across the table to see Daniel absolutely enraptured by the story Jacob was retelling.  
  
"It would seem that a few years ago, an explorer found her way there and unwittingly released Wadjet again."  
  
"I'm sorry," Sam interrupted. "But how does any of this add up to time travel?" She was clearly still reeling from Labras' opening statement.  
  
"The woman Wadjet took as host –"  
  
"The explorer?" Sam clarified, stopping her father again.  
  
Jacob nodded. "She was Makinian."  
  
He was met by several bemused looks.  
  
"They are an advanced race of humans. I think you may have met one of them before. Malakai?"  
  
"On P4X-639," Daniel said indicating they knew who he was.  
  
'Ah, good times!' Jack thought, remembering the eventful time loop.  
  
"The Makinians have been experimenting with time travel for decades now, which is why Malakai was so interested in that planet," Labras continued from where Jacob had left off.  
  
"And here we all thought it was for his wife," Jack interjected.  
  
"Anyway, to cut the rest of the short, with the knowledge her new host had about time travel, combined with her own knowledge of Goa'uld technology, Wadjet was able to engineer this." Jacob opened the crate they had brought with them and delicately placed its contents on the table for all to see.  
  
It was a hand device – of sorts. It resembled a Cobra with its neck fully open, as if ready to pounce. The main body of the snake looked as if it would rest across the back of the wearer's hand and up to the middle of their forearm, where the tail then wrapped around the arm and back towards the hand, finally coiling itself around the thumb to secure it in place. Its tongue was set to wrap around the middle finger, to give extra anchorage. The entire structure was completely flexible, giving the wearer full mobility of their hands – as per normal. On the main body of the snake were several jewels. Two bright green jewels for eyes, set near the top of the device. Further towards the wrist was a large blue diamond-shaped jewel, flanked by two triangular amber ones. Despite the fact that it was a piece of Goa'uld technology, the device was very beautiful to behold.  
  
SG-1 and General Hammond stared at it wondrously.  
  
"It's called a Cobra Hand Device," Jacob said, bringing the meeting back into focus.  
  
"And it's a time machine?" Sam queried.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Sam looked dubious. Everyone looked dubious, for that matter.  
  
"But it's tiny!" Trust Jack to voice everyone's thoughts in the simplest way possible.  
  
"Works though," Jacob replied plainly.  
  
Sam was still baffled. "How?!"  
  
"It uses the same liquefied Naquaddah module that fires a Staff weapon to create a temporal fold in space time, large enough to send maybe two people to a specific time and place," Jacob informed her.  
  
"Maybe two people?" jack queried.  
  
Jacob sighed. "We know for sure it can send one person. We think it's capable of sending two, but we haven't tested it."  
  
"Oh, but you've tested it for one, right?"  
  
Jacob and Labras fell silent.  
  
"I knew it!" Jack cooed. "You want us to be the lab rats again!"  
  
"Actually, no we don't," Jacob said, slightly smugly. His victorious feeling didn't last long though as he knew he had to explain the rest of their plan now. And that included the screw up. On seeing the expectant looks around the table, he took a deep breath and began.  
  
"As I said before, Wadjet had been in stasis for thousands of years, until a few years ago when she was released. In that time, as well as creating the Cobra Hand Device, she has been learning everything she can about the modern universe so she can go back to Ancient Egypt and become supreme ruler over the whole universe."  
  
There was a stunned silence around the table, broken once again by Jack.  
  
"Ambitious little snake, isn't she!" he quipped.  
  
The rest of the group tried their hardest to ignore his comment.  
  
"How is it you came across this device, Jacob Carter?" Teal'c asked.  
  
'Here we go,' Jacob thought, taking another deep breath. "About a month ago, we managed to capture Wadjet and duplicate the device."  
  
Jack knew there was more. "But ...?" he prompted.  
  
Jacob held back for a moment.  
  
"C'mon, Jake. What's the catch? Why are you telling us all of this?"  
  
"She managed to escape last night. Taking her original device with her."  
  
"So, one of us isn't just going on the test-run for this, are they? It'll be the clean-up-your-mess-run, right?" Jack added cynically. But he was right.  
  
"More specifically, you," Jacob said, figuring he might as well lay the whole thing out in the open now.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"The reason we're not sending one of our own operatives is because Wadjet will be naturally suspicious of anyone she senses has a symbiote, so that also puts Teal'c and Sam out of the question."  
  
"But me?"  
  
"Yeah," Daniel agreed. "Won't you need someone who can speak the language to go?!"  
  
He was clearly itching for a chance to actually see Ancient Egypt.  
  
"So far as we can tell, the device compensates for language differences, so whoever goes will be able to speak and understand the native language without realising it," Jacob clarified.  
  
"BUT WHY ME?!"  
  
"Because we need someone with your level of military experience. It's not like this is gonna be an easy one-stop-shop to kill this goa'uld. You'll need to find a way to infiltrate the palace first. So we need someone who can strategise and think on their feet."  
  
Jack thought for a moment about what they were asking of him.  
  
"Ok, say for a moment that I agree to go after this widget –"  
  
"Wadjet!" Daniel corrected.  
  
"I'm still gonna be screwing around with time here, right?"  
  
"There's nothing we can do about that, I'm afraid. She's already gone back so –" Jacob was interrupted again, this time by Jack.  
  
"Oh, now they tell us!"  
  
"Look! Why else would we be here? ... The point is, we're running out of time here as it is. We need you on board for this to work at all, Jack."  
  
'Wow!' Jack thought. 'Jacob actually sounded desperate.' He'd had a feeling this meeting wouldn't end well for him. And he hated it when he was right about these things. But what choice did he have? None, pretty much.  
  
"OK," he said quietly. "I'm in. what do I do?"  
  
Jacob and Labras visibly relaxed as his submission.  
  
"Well, first you need to take off your watch," Jacob told him.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, it's not gonna be much use to you in Egypt, is it? ... Plus, we're not sure what the transition will do to anything electrical, so it's probably best not to risk it."  
  
Jack suddenly wasn't sure about his decision to do this, what with it being such an untested theory. There was also a slight look of apprehension in Jacob's eyes that was very unsettling indeed.  
  
He glanced at his watch. 19:46, it read. He obediently handed it to Carter, albeit regretfully. He felt more or less lost without his watch at the best of times, and he was heading for what he was sure would be the worst of times.  
  
"I'll put it in your office, sir," she said and soon disappeared down the spiral stairs.  
  
"You'll also need a hand gun," Jacob continued, once his daughter had left.  
  
Hammond nodded towards one of the airmen keeping watch over the proceedings. He too quickly exited in the direction of the armoury and promptly returned with the requested hand gun. Jack tucked the gun into his belt as Jacob strapped the device to his right arm.  
  
"You press the blue jewel to activate the device," he told Jack. "Then a display will appear below its eyes. Then use the green jewels to programme your destination. The amber jewels will programme the time you want. Then press the blue jewel again to actually go."  
  
Jack nodded, indicating he understood what he had to do. He followed Jacob's instructions for programming the device. He glanced around the room, a little disappointed that Carter hadn't made it back to see him off.  
  
"Wish me luck," he said, his finger poised over the blue diamond.  
  
"Godspeed, son," Hammond responded.  
  
Jack pressed the blue jewel.  
  
For a moment, not much seemed to happen, but the colours in the room seemed to bleed into each other. Suddenly, there was a cold blast of air that swept through and around Jack, causing his breath to catch in his chest. A bright green light illuminated around him. It was hot – almost unbearable. He felt the whole earth shake beneath him as if it was about to pull apart. Instead, he felt as if he was going to pull apart himself. As the green light grew in intensity, Jack felt his limbs contort into unbearably painful positions that would have been otherwise impossible for anyone to achieve.  
  
The heat around him was also increasing, while the cold air kept chilling through his veins. He couldn't see anything but the light around him, nor hear anything but the rush of air.  
  
After what could have been forever, the heat and the pain began to subside. His body was returned to its natural position. Finally, the green light faded away into nothing and Jack collapsed onto the ground.  
  
But it wasn't a carpet that broke his fall. It was a marble floor – cold and hard.  
  
Every muscle in his body was shaking from cold and from the effort of being contorted as they had been. He was drenched in cold sweat and his heart rate was dangerously high. He could barely move a muscle. He didn't know where he was. Or when. He could hear voices in a nearby corridor. Voices that grew louder with each passing second.  
  
It wasn't long before a heavy door slid open at one end of the room he was in. Jack watched silently from the shadows as a young woman entered. Not Jaffa. Not Goa'uld. She wore the robes of a Lo'tar – a human slave to the Goa'uld. She was carrying a canopic jar in her hands.  
  
Jack knew he had no chance of getting out of wherever he was on his own merits. She seemed to be his only chance at that time. But he could barely bring himself to move, let alone get her attention. The 'transition', as Jacob had put it, had drained all energy he had.  
  
The young woman placed her load down on the alter opposite the door and turned to leave. It was now or never, Jack realised.  
  
From his point in the shadows, he managed to muster enough energy and will power to reach out his hand. He caught her ankle. Startled, she turned to see who was there.  
  
She didn't scream. She didn't call for help – which Jack was grateful for. She just looked at him with curiosity and pity.  
  
"Help me," was all he could say, before he lost all consciousness and collapsed at her feet.  
  
*******  
  
Author's Note: Part two will be up soon. And don't worry! I haven't forgotten about the other series I've got going. They'll be updated soon too. Now, it's time for you to review! Thanx. 


	2. Part Two

STARGATE SG-1: The Grandfather Paradox  
  
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.  
  
Season: Any.  
  
Spoilers: None (?).  
  
Pairing: None (for once!).  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really!).  
  
Author's Note: I was hoping to have this story neatly in 3 parts, but part 2 sort of got away with me so I've split it into 2 (this being the first of them). In that case, I'll try and get part 3 written quickly and posted at the same time as the last part (now part 4) as that one is already written! (Does that make any sense at all?!?). Anyway, R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!  
  
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 2  
  
Sometime in Ancient Egypt...  
  
"But you don't even know who he is, Ayesha!" Was the first thing Jack heard on regaining consciousness.  
  
"He asked for my help for my help, father! What could I do? Leave him for the guards to find?" replied the man's daughter.  
  
Jack slowly opened his eyes and turned his head in the direction of the voices. Soon, his still focusing eyes lited upon the young woman who had been in whatever chamber he had arrived in. with her, was an older man – her father he presumed. His skin was the same olive-tanned colour as hers, but his hair had long since turned grey.  
  
She turned her attention back to Jack, surprised to see him watching them.  
  
"You're awake," she said coming back to his side. She stepped fully into the light and Jack was instantly struck by her strong brown eyes that shone at him through the lamp light. She sat on the edge of the bed. "Do you have a name?" she asked.  
  
It took a while for Jack to respond as his mouth was so dry.  
  
"Jack," he whispered eventually.  
  
"Well, Jack," said her father from the other side of the room. "Do you want to tell us just what you were doing in the royal chamber?"  
  
"Father!" Ayesha scolded. "Leave him be!"  
  
But Jack felt they deserved some sort of explanation, though how much he was allowed to tell them was harder to judge.  
  
"It's OK, I'm OK," he said sitting up.  
  
"No. You need rest," "Ayesha insisted, reminding Jack of Fraiser.  
  
"I'm fine, doc, really."  
  
"Doc?"  
  
"Yeah. As in doctor? Someone who makes you better?"  
  
Ayesha creased her brow. "I am not a physician."  
  
"Never mind." He turned to her father. "Look, the truth is, sir, I don't know why I was in that chamber."  
  
Ayesha's father paled. "Were you attacked?"  
  
"No! No, it's nothing like that, I ... well, what I mean is I don't know why I was in that chamber specifically."  
  
He was met with a confused gaze from both his hosts, forcing him to proceed carefully with the explanation.  
  
"Look, I'm not from around here. Or now, for that matter. I'm from the future. I came here to stop something from happening. Something that could end the world."  
  
Still, confused looks greeted him.  
  
"There's this Goa – a woman, named Wadjet –"  
  
"Wadjet? The Goddess? Ra banished her," Ayesha interrupted.  
  
"OK, 1: she's not a goddess. 2: trust me, she's back!"  
  
Jack observed Ayesha's face for a second. It was as if she couldn't make up her mind as to be overjoyed by what he was telling her or phenomenally disappointed. Either way, he got the impression that she believed him. It didn't take long for him to explain the rest of what he could about the situation he was in.  
  
"So what is your intention here?" Ayesha's father asked.  
  
"I've been sent to kill her," Jack stated plainly.  
  
The old man drew back in fear. Jack could understand why. It wasn't every day he met someone who claimed to be able to kill one of their 'gods'. But he didn't have time to stand – or sit – around explaining himself. He wasn't even sure how much he was supposed or allowed to tell anyone around here what was really going on.  
  
'Damage control' Carter would have called it. 'Inconvenient' was another word.  
  
"Look," he said firmly. "I don't have time to explain everything here. So, please. I need your help."  
  
He watched the two of them carefully for any signs that they were about to help him or toss him out on his as. Either would have been fine (the former preferable).  
  
Instead, they remained fairly neutral. Barely even a muscle in their faces twitched at all.  
  
Finally, Ayesha spoke.  
  
"Father is growing weaker and is unable to conduct his duties at the palace. You could take his place. The guards will not suspect anything. Lo'tars are always being moved about."  
  
"Ayesha!" her father protected. "Do you know what you're saying?! It's blasphemy! The gods will know!"  
  
"Oh, for crying out loud! They're not gods! They're human, just like you and me!" Jack blurted. "Well, they've got a little reptilian activity going on in their craniums, but that's it! And they won't find out because the whole point of sending me to do this is that I'm good at covert."  
  
"Covert?" Ayesha asked, unsure of the term.  
  
"Yeah, it means I'm stealthy. I can get around places without being noticed."  
  
Ayesha let out a soft peal of laughter. "Do you say the way you approached me was 'covert'?!"  
  
Jack had to hand it to her. It had been pretty dumb. If his old SF drill sergeant had found out about hat, he'd have been out of the Air Force faster than Carter could think!  
  
"That was an isolated incident," he said in his defence.  
  
Ayesha just looked at him, much in the same way that Daniel did when he disapproved of something – which was fairly often.  
  
"I am still unsure of what you are doing, Ayesha. How do we know to trust this man?" her father questioned.  
  
It was a fair point. He was asking a lot of them, but he was desperate.  
  
"He appeared from nowhere, father," Ayesha pointed out. He was about to counter the argument when she carried on regardless. "And someone who can do that clearly possesses great power. Whether he means good or ill is beside the point. What do you think he will be able to do to us if we don not help? We know too much of his intentions."  
  
She looked over to Jack to reassure him that she truly did trust him, but was merely playing to her father's many insecurities.  
  
And it worked. 'Damn she's good!' Jack thought, admiring her fortitude. She'd have made a great addition to the SGC if she hadn't been stuck in this time.  
  
With her father finally convinced, Ayesha made her way about the small hut of a house that they were in; getting everything Jack would need to fill her father's post in the palace.  
  
"How will this get me close to Wadjet?" Jack asked once he was suitably attired.  
  
"As a Lo'tar, you will have access to everything the god's possess. If Wadjet is truly here, you will also be required to wait upon her. You need then only chose your moment."  
  
Jack was stunned for a moment by the clarity of her logic – something that both Daniel and Carter were yet to perfect. "OK, one question," he said eventually. "What makes you so eager to help me out? You know how dangerous it could be?"  
  
Ayesha's gaze flicked momentarily to where her father was now asleep on the other side of the room. Satisfied that he wasn't able to hear, she turned back to Jack. She leaned in closer so she could whisper.  
  
"For some time now, a number of the Lo'tars have been suspicious of the gods and how we are treated."  
  
"That's what happens when people don't have a union," Jack quipped.  
  
"Oh no," she insisted. "We are perfectly united in our cause, I assure you."  
  
Jack smiled. He clearly had to explain that concept to her later. "Never mind. You were saying?"  
  
"Although our number has grown greatly over the years, many still fear the wrath of the gods and what will happen to us if we fail. With your help, I believe we can truly succeed."  
  
"So you're helping me to prove to the doubters that it can be done and in return, I help you?"  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"Do what exactly?"  
  
Ayesha's eyes flicked to her father once again. He was still asleep. Jack got the feeling that he wasn't part of the group she was talking about.  
  
"We want to fight back," she said plainly.  
  
"Fight back?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You mean you want to start a rebellion?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"THE rebellion?"  
  
Ayesha creased her forehead. But Jack didn't notice. He was too busy trying to process what was going on. Of all the times in Ancient Egypt Wadjet could have picked to go back to, she picks the biggest down fall in Goa'uld history. And now, he was being asked to help with it. More than that maybe. There was a glint in Ayesha's eyes that told him that she wanted him to LEAD them in this rebellion. Could he actually do that? Could he screw around with earth's past like that?  
  
Then it occurred to him that what she was talking about, he already knew had happened in his time. Maybe he was the catalyst to the events leading to the end of the Goa'uld reign on earth. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Heck! Daniel was the one to convince Catherine Langford to look into the Stargate project in 1969. Who was to say that he hadn't done this?  
  
It wasn't any of these thoughts that really swayed him to agree. He somehow felt obliged to help them out. After all Ayesha was laying on the line for him, it only seemed fair to repay the favour.  
  
Even so, this was going to take some working.  
  
******  
  
Author's Note: That's all for now. I promise not to leave it so long before posting the next part. As I said before, I'll probably post the last two together, so look out for it. OK, enough of me! Review!!! 


	3. Part Three

STARGATE SG-1: The Grandfather Paradox  
  
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.  
  
Season: Any.  
  
Spoilers: None.  
  
Pairing: None.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really!).  
  
Author's Note: OK, here we go, the end is fast approaching. Sorry this took so long to write/post, I got caught up in exams so had no time for my fanfics. But, as promised, the last two parts are being posted together, so I won't leave you hanging on this one for much longer!  
  
Big thank you to Shona for helping me with the festival. Your suggestion was PERFECT!  
  
Anyway, enough of me. R&R as always! Thanx. Enjoy!  
  
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 3  
  
Sometime in Ancient Egypt...  
  
Jack as unsure as to what time frame he ha to work with here. Was he supposed to be in and out again within a matter of minutes or was it a case of taking as much time as he needed to do the job properly?  
  
He sincerely hoped it was the latter, since that was the approach he had naturally fallen into when he agreed to help Ayesha in her 'crusade'. He still wondered at the wisdom (or lack thereof) of him helping out with THE rebellion, but it was his only chance at getting close to Wadjet.  
  
That's why he was coming up on his fifth day in palace service.  
  
Five days, and still no sign of his 'target'. He had seen just about every other snakehead wondering around from time to time, but nothing of Wadjet (not that he would know what she looked like, mind you, he was hoping gut instinct would point her our instead). Of course, the five days hadn't been a complete dead loss. He now had every nook and cranny of the palace perfectly mapped out in his head. He was even beginning to think up tactics for the rebels to use when they finally got going.  
  
Ayesha had assured him that he would meet the rest of the rebel leaders soon enough, but they were a little paranoid when it came to revealing their plans and meeting places to total strangers (and for good reason too).  
  
"Human!" a Jaffa called from behind him. Jack obediently stopped in his tracks and turned to face his 'hailer'. He kept his eyes downcast (as Ayesha had instructed).  
  
"Yes my lord?" he said in a subservient tone.  
  
"Your goddess Wadjet requires these be sent to her personal chambers." He shoved a tray of gold and jewelled finery into Jack's hands before striding off down the corridor.  
  
Jack suppressed a grin as he gazed at what he had been presented with. He had quite literally been handed the access he wanted on a plate! With any luck, Wadjet wouldn't be in her chambers when he arrived, giving him plenty of time to scope out possible ways of attacking.  
  
As it happened, his luck stayed with him – for the most part at least. The chamber was deserted when he arrived, but he still did a quick check around the whole room – purely out of habit.  
  
The chamber was much like all the other Goa'uld private quarters in the palace – white washed walls with brilliant red and gold drapes hanging down. This chamber also had several more modern Goa'uld developments – no doubt all the things Wadjet had managed to bring with her to help with her hostile take over bid.  
  
As for gaining a foothold into the chamber, there wasn't any entrance other than the main door that was in plain view to just about every corner of the room, so a surgical attack was out of the question. The large window was another problem, as it left the whole chamber wide open to the world outside – something that Wadjet herself was probably cursing her luck about.  
  
Other than that, the chamber was fairly standard. He knew all he needed. Apart from one thing – he still didn't know what Wadjet looked like!

#

Jack followed Ayesha down the narrow back streets, twisting and turning their way around the houses. He could barely see her ahead of him in the nonexistent light that filtered down from the evening sky and was trapped by the buildings around him. As they continued, their passage became narrow and darker as the town closed in around him. There was barely a foot between one house and the next. Wherever he looked there was darkening sandstone pushing its way towards him.  
  
Ayesha was completely gone from sight by now. She wasn't far off, though. He could still hear her foot steps ahead of him, echoing blessedly in his ears, proving there was still some sensation left in him.  
  
He stretched out his hand and watched as it disappeared from his sphere of vision. He fumbled as his fingers groped for something to latch onto, to act as his eyes. They hit stone. The rough texture of the houses comforted his mind in the enclosed environment.  
  
"This way," she whispered from ahead of him. "It's not far now."  
  
He felt her fingers wrap around his as she guided him further and further into the labyrinth of houses.  
  
They turned one last corner and Jack was almost blinded by the dim candle light that shone from a single window in the house opposite them.  
  
As they approached, a soft murmur rose like a tide and reached Jack's senses. A slight pang of nerves hit him as Ayesha raised her hand to knock on the door.  
  
As soon as her fist made contact with the dusty decaying door, all activity stopped within. The silence that followed sent an eerie chill through Jack.  
  
A pair of cautious eyes appeared through the shutters by the candle. A moment later, the door opened and the two of them were hurried inside.  
  
"We were beginning to worry," the man said to Ayesha, in a hushed conspiring sort of tone. "This him?" He indicated Jack.  
  
"Yes," Ayesha replied. "He can help us."  
  
The young men stepped up to Jack and took in his entire appearance before speaking to him.  
  
"Ayesha says you have come to slay the gods?" he enquired.  
  
"Not all of them, but that's the general idea. Yeah," Jack replied.  
  
The young man smiled. "Understand we are a simple people and have lived in fear for many years now. You may have Ayesha's trust, but others may not be as receptive. We have to be careful you realise?"  
  
Jack nodded his response. It was perfectly understandable that these people were paranoid. It wasn't easy going up against the Goa'uld.  
  
They were led through another door to where the main rebel meeting was taking place. Jack felt himself being watched intently as he followed Ayesha to the two empty seats on the opposite side of the room. Once they were settled, the meeting continued.  
  
Jack took a moment to survey his surroundings. The tiny room was crammed full of people, all of whom were looking rather forlorn and defeated. The mass of candles and oil lamps scattered around didn't so much as illuminate the room, as they did throw the shadows into sharp relief, making each face look much older and sadder than he imagined they would have been otherwise.  
  
He could see in their eyes the ever present sense of defeat, but also a strong determination. These people had been defeated once too often, it seemed, but they were willing to bounce back even stronger.  
  
It was this look in their eyes that made the whole room buzz with a sense of purpose and conspiracy. It inspired hope in Jack too. Perhaps this wasn't as hopeless as he thought.  
  
"...then we must fight back!" one man was saying, causing Jack to refocus on the meeting itself.  
  
"But how?! Everything we have done has been thwarted. And now she has returned –" the second man was cut off when the leader of the meeting – an elderly gentleman with long white hair and an age-creased face – raised his hand to silence him.  
  
Everyone in the room turned towards him, each full of expectation.  
  
For e moment he didn't say anything, as if he was contemplating his response.  
  
"It is true," he said eventually. "Wadjet's return is an unfortunate set back for our cause, and those who gave their lives to see her banished seem to have died in vain. But we must not allow her to divide us."  
  
There was a slight murmur of whispers that rose in a wave at what he had said. Ayesha leaned over to jack to explain.  
  
"That is Adapa, our leader," she informed him. "He has led our cause since I was a child, though nowadays he never leaves this hut. The gods have placed a bounty on his head, so he is in hiding. That is why we only meet here when it is absolutely necessary."  
  
"What's the occasion tonight?" Jack asked as the meeting continued around him.  
  
"Many months ago, a group from our number died exposing Wadjet's plan to expand her domain. As a result, Ra banished her. It was a great victory for us. But since her return, she had proven she is much stronger than before. We need to act quickly to stop her."  
  
Jack nodded, understanding their situation.  
  
The murmur that had arisen was soon muted by Adapa's calm voice drifting over the room.  
  
"We have among us tonight someone who can aid us." He was looking straight at Jack. Soon the rest of the rebels realised the significance of his gaze and in turn, turned their attention to Jack, who was steadily feeling the sting of nerves working its way through his body. He felt his mouth turn drier than the vast desert around the city. He awkwardly surveyed his audience trying to determine whether he was meant to say something.  
  
Once again, he was saved by Ayesha.  
  
She stood up, drawing attention away from him. It was only then that he realised she was the only woman present.  
  
"Friends," she said. "This man has come from another time with the sole purpose of slaying Wadjet." This stirred a little interest in her listeners. "With his help, we may finally be able to rid ourselves from our oppressors and live freely and in peace."  
  
At the back of the room, a voice rose to challenge her. "And what makes you so sure this stranger is any better than the countless brave souls who have fallen before him?"  
  
Jack rolled his eyes. 'There always had to be one!' he thought.  
  
"I have seen his skills," she replied. "He has weapons that rival those of the gods. Weapons of great power."  
  
"Then how do we know he won't try and rule in their stead?"  
  
At this, Jack decided to fight his own corner.  
  
"Hey!" he said standing up next to Ayesha. "If I was going to take their place, I'd have killed them myself without your help." He fixed the man's gaze to emphasise the seriousness of his statement, before turning to the rest of the group.  
  
"My mission here is to kill Wadjet, yes. But I wouldn't have come to you if I didn't need your help to do that... So, will you help me or not?"  
  
He waited with baited breath for someone to respond, but once again, all attention had turned to Adapa.  
  
"Please," jack continued, addressing the leader. "If I don't succeed, the whole future of humanity will be in jeopardy."  
  
Adapa thought for a long moment, all the time staring at Jack with his strong dark eyes. Soon a smile spread across his features. The old man bowed his head, picked up the staff weapon that had been laid ceremoniously in front of him throughout the meeting and offered it to Jack.  
  
"What's happening?" Jack whispered to Ayesha.  
  
"Adapa is recognising your authority here. Take the weapon from him."  
  
Jack did as she said, but was till none the wiser as to the significance of the gesture.  
  
"Now what?" he queried.  
  
"Now, you lead us to victory."  
  
Jack's mouth fell dry once again.

#

For the next five days, Jack and a number of the rebels carefully smuggled Zats out of the Jaffa armouries around the various palaces. News of the proposed uprising was quickly spreading to everyone who could be trusted not to betray them – which was actually all of the slaves and most of the other higher ranking human attendants.  
  
Finally, the day arrived when everyone had agreed to launch their attack.  
  
It was the first day of the Festival of Opet. Most of the 'gods' were gathering in the temple at Luxor for the eleven day festival. It was the perfect opportunity to launch their rebellion.  
  
The temple itself had been lavishly decorated with the same red gold and blue that adorned the royal chambers of the Goa'uld.  
  
The whole place was packed full of people and Jaffa alike, all brimming with excitement – though not all for the same reasons.  
  
Somewhere in the middle of the crowd, Jack scanned the perimeter of the temple, satisfied that everyone was in place, but still double and triple checking as his nerves began to build up and the narcotic-like kick of adrenaline began to course through his veins.  
  
Soon, the procession of the Gods was well under way and the entire temple erupted in a wave of carnival colour and jubilation at their entrance. All the same, Jack got the impression that at least some of the fever-pitch atmosphere could be attributed to anticipation of the impending attack. He certainly knew this to be true of his own jittery state.  
  
Even so, he watched the entering procession with the kind of intensity he had seen Carter apply to her science experiments.  
  
It still worried him that he hadn't been able to identify Wadjet from the other system lords. But seeing them all paraded in front of him didn't help as there were several he didn't recognise.  
  
That is, until he saw it.  
  
The Cobra Hand device – exactly the same as the one he was trying so hard to keep hidden from those around him. He glanced at the wearer.  
  
She was a beautiful young woman, made even more so by the ornate, yet delicate jewellery that she wore.  
  
Jack couldn't help but notice the slightly sly smile that sparkled in her eyes and was just beginning to tug at the corner of her lips. She knew what was going to happen.  
  
This instantly put Jack at a disadvantage as it took the surprise element away. An element that was pretty much vital in a 'surprise attack'!  
  
Jack was so busy trying to rethink his plan that he didn't notice Wadjet glance across the crowd at him. Nor did he see the flicker of recognition that briefly played across her face as she spotted him.  
  
A little while before the signal for attack was to be given, Jack noticed her slip out of line from the procession.  
  
He quickly forced his way through the expectant crowd.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ayesha stopped him with a forceful hand on his shoulder. "We need you."  
  
"It's Wadjet," he replied, nodding to where the woman was gracefully making her way to one of the side chambers. "I can't let her out of my sight. She's why I'm here."  
  
Ayesha still wasn't convinced. She pleaded with her eyes, conveying to him the reminder of their deal to help each other out.  
  
"I'll be back as soon as I can," he said reassuringly. "Until then, you can do your best, which I know should be enough without me."  
  
Ayesha smiled gratefully for the encouragement and finally let him go, watching anxiously as he disappeared in to the swelling crowd ahead of him.

#

As soon as Jack was out of view of the carnival crowd, he discarded his outer sandy robes, thankful for the added freedom of his SGC fatigues beneath them. He cautiously pulled his 9-mil from the back of his trousers and carefully traced the path he had seen Wadjet take.  
  
Every so often, a cheer rose up from the main chamber indicating the celebration was in full swing. But not for long, he knew. The signal would come soon, as they had agreed.  
  
The corridor he was following twisted and turned, taking him deeper into the temple. It was getting narrower and darker, indicating a burial chamber was most likely at its end.  
  
As Jack was feeling more and more sunk into the darkness, he saw the soft glow of torch light flicker up ahead. He strode towards it, his confidence growing as he went.  
  
The door to the lit chamber was slightly ajar, enabling him to peer around for a preliminary search of the immediate vicinity. From what he could see, it was empty. This instantly set his nerves on edge.  
  
With as much caution as he could muster, jack edged around the door, trying his damnedest not to make any noise.  
  
He looked around to the side of the room that had been shielded by the door. There, he saw and alter type shrine set out with candles, jewellery along with a number of canopic jars, all set and ready for a burial ceremony.  
  
In front of the alter, with her back to the door, was Wadjet.  
  
Jack raised his gun, ready to fire. To complete his mission. But before he could fire, she spoke.  
  
"It's good to finally meet you, Colonel O'Neill."  
  
His name seemed to get wrapped around her tongue as her thick Eastern- European accent spoke it aloud. There was no artificial, metallic edge to it at this point, but it wasn't the host talking either.  
  
Wadjet was simply playing to Jack's weakness towards the host. And for a moment, it worked. He hesitated – undecided as to follow through or hear what she had to say. Before he could decide, she turned to face him, her deep green eyes almost piercing his flesh, and that was before they burned white hot, adding to the intensity of her stare.  
  
"Your reputation precedes you," she said, this time not hiding her harsh, artificial voice with her host's.  
  
"I'm sure it does," jack replied, not lowering his gun and slightly annoyed at his seeming inability to fire it. He had the advantage after all. "What do you know?" he demanded, stalling for time as he willed his finger to squeeze the trigger. But he couldn't move and couldn't understand why.  
  
"Oh, I know everything," she answered, taking a step towards him. "I think you will find a lot has changed about me since my banishment."  
  
"I'm sure they have, but seeing as how I only heard of you a week ago, I'm gonna have to take you're egotistical word for it, aren't I?"  
  
The malicious smile slipped from Wadjet's face. Her pride clearly taking a beating from his comment. Anger began to play across her face as she advanced towards him.  
  
Suddenly, the torches n the chamber flickered, sending harsh, lurid shadows dancing across the walls. The whole of the room shook and dust spiralled towards the floor from where it had been dislodged in the ceiling. There was a series of loud crashes – almost like explosions – that accompanied the disruption.  
  
Jack glanced around, checking the integrity of the chamber.  
  
It had begun. He knew it. The rebels were attacking, and from the sounds of things, they were off to a good start.  
  
This momentary lapse in concentration cost Jack dearly, though.  
  
Before he could even register that Wadjet was stood directly in front of him, she threw him across the room with the jolt of her hand device. (Not the Cobra Device, that was on the alter at this point, exchanged instead for the standard hand device that had been residing there).  
  
Jack collided hard with the far wall. His gun spinning helplessly out of his reach. As he collapsed to the wall, he checked his own Cobra Device was still in tact. It was, after all his only way home. Luckily, it was unscathed.  
  
He scrambled to his feet, just in time to defend himself from a more focused assault from her. All previous inhibitions towards fighting her were quickly lifted out of the simple need for self-defence against her aggressive and relentless attacks.  
  
There was no way jack could think of to get to his gun. It was too far away from him and there was no way Wadjet would let her guard down long enough for him to lunge for it.  
  
Hand-to-hand combat was the only option left to either of them. All the time, their battle was echoed and often drowned out by the open battle raging above them in the main temple. They seemed to fight for hours – neither one gaining any real territory, neither one holding back in the slightest.  
  
It was a fight to the death and which ever one won would determine the future of the entire human race on earth and across the galaxy.  
  
Even so, Jack was beginning to tire; fatigue was slowly taking hold of his lungs, making it almost impossible for him to block more and more of Wadjet's expertly timed blows.  
  
Blood was streaming from his nose, as well as from other gashes across his face and body. It seeped into his overshirt and mixed painfully with the dust on the floor every time he was struck down.  
  
But something in his mind always brought him back to his feet. He had to win this one. It didn't matter if he died in the process, as long as he took her with him. It just didn't matter.  
  
This conscious realisation of the insignificance of his own life in the situation seemed to be the release he needed.  
  
He struck back with more force than he realised he possessed. He continued to strike back, completely oblivious to the agony it was causing his already broken body. He was growing closer and closer to a state of berserker-rage with every blow he dealt.  
  
Finally, Wadjet dropped onto her knees, weakened by Jack's relentless, persistent attack.  
  
By now, he was so riled up he could have killed her with his bare hands.  
  
"Jack!"  
  
Without thinking, he spun round to see who had interrupted him. Rage blazed in his eyes when he saw Ayesha standing in the doorway.  
  
"We've won!" she announced, so elated at the news that she didn't register the fierce glare in his eyes. "They're leaving! We are free!"  
  
Her words seemed to rescue what shred of humanity was left in Jack's crazed state.  
  
His demeanour softened almost instantly and he smiled genuinely glad their world was theirs again. But in doing so, he also loosened his grip on Wadjet.  
  
She took her chance to act quickly and reached for Jack's abandoned gun. With no warning or hesitation, she fired two shots into Ayesha's chest.  
  
The whole world seemed to grind into slow motion for.  
  
Jack turned – feeling as if the air had taken on the consistency of molasses – and wrestled the gun from Wadjet's hand. Once again, it lay helplessly on the floor. But Wadjet still had the upper hand over Jack a his mind was divided between his battle with her and grief for Ayesha.  
  
Wadjet back handed him away from her. She knew there was nothing she could do now but run. Her whole plan to take over was for nought without her being able to crush the rebellion herself. With the battle already lost, there was nothing left for her to win over from them. She had no choice to flee as fast as she could, before the other rebels discovered her in the depths of the temple.  
  
Jack cradled his head as it throbbed from the final attack. Through his hands, he could see Ayesha lying helplessly on the floor. She was gasping for breath and her hand was reached out to him.  
  
Forgetting about his headache and Wadjet, he took hold of her hand and cradled her cadaverous body in his arms. The warmth in her skin was draining fast, as was the colour in her cheeks.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered through the pain in her heart and lungs.  
  
"Sshh," Jack lulled. "It's not your fault."  
  
She looked like she wanted to tell him something else, but before she could speak again, her body convulsed suddenly and she drew her last breath. Jack's heart sank as she died. But there was no time to grieve.  
  
"This isn't the last you've seen of me, O'Neill!" Wadjet bragged from by the alter, where she had switched her hand device once again. "Remember, I know everything about you and your team. Next time, you'll wish you hadn't been born, mark my words!"  
  
Jack – already immune to the empty Goa'uld rhetoric – was once again filled with rage (though not as severe as before). As Wadjet began to activate her hand device, Jack lunged for his gun. He fired at her, but she had already begun to shift out of earth's space-time – the bullets went straight through her. Before long, she would be gone forever.  
  
There was no way he could let her out of his sight. Not after what she had done to Ayesha. Not when she knew all she did about him. About Carter, Daniel and Teal'c as well.  
  
He quickly grabbed one of the canopic jars from the alter and dived at Wadjet.  
  
He grabbed hold of her as the green lights began to dance around them. Soon, they were both engulfed in the agonising pull through time and space. But this time, jack didn't care about the pain and discomfort. All he cared about was that wherever she was going, he would be there to track her down.  
  
She couldn't get away.  
  
Or so he thought...

#####

Author's Note: Sorry if the fight seemed a little abstract, I'm not that good at big action stuff. Anyway, if you thought that was hard on Jack, just wait till you read the finale! Which, as it happens is already posted so go ahead and read it! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!! 


	4. Part Four

STARGATE SG-1: The Grandfather Paradox  
  
Summary: The Tok'ra enlist Jack's help to track down a Goa'uld who has mastered time travel.  
  
Season: Any.  
  
Spoilers: None.  
  
Pairing: Implied Jack/Sam at the end, but nothing major to plot.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything to do with Stargate SG-1! (Shame really!).  
  
Warning: Character death!  
  
Author's Note: Right, I've kept you all hanging long enough, so here it is, the big(ish) finale! I advise you to have a box of tissues handy! That's all I'm saying, so R&R as always. Thanx. Enjoy!  
  
The Grandfather Paradox – Part 4  
  
19:30, August 10th  
  
The green light surrounding Jack faded away for the last time. He was home, and thankfully so. He glanced around his office in Cheyenne Mountain, relieved to see the familiar sight of paper work and paper aeroplanes all over the floor. He carefully set the Canopic Jar down on his desk.  
  
Gradually, his heart rate began to slow to its natural pace, but he couldn't will the warmth back into his skin, nor stop every muscle in his body from shaking. His lungs had constricted to about a tenth of their normal capacity. Gasping for breath, Jack sank into the closest chair and ran the back of his hand across his forehead, removing a layer of cold sweat from his brow.  
  
Had he just done what his senses were telling him he had done? Was that really how it happened?  
  
Jack couldn't bring himself to even think about answering the myriad of questions that was swimming in his mind.  
  
That's when he noticed his hands; still shaking from shock and the ride back. His palms were mottled with a crimson liquid, some dried and turning darker, but still warm none the less.  
  
Blood.  
  
He quickly glanced over his tired attire, horrified to see the same sight seeping into his over shirt and fatigues. He couldn't hold back anymore. His well trained military façade broke down and was replaced by the shock- ridden wreck that he truly was at this point.  
  
He knew this was real ...  
  
He sank his head into his hands, trying desperately to bloke out the images flooding his mind and the everyday sounds of the base pounding his senses – the sound of the life support generator, people outside his office, the door opening.  
  
He glanced up to see who had caused the disturbance.  
  
"Sir?" a slightly startled Carter said, entering the room with his watch. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Jack didn't answer her. He just indicated the jar on his desk.  
  
"You did it?!" she exclaimed, half in glee, half amazed that he had arrived back before he had even left. "What happened?"  
  
Jack was still for a moment.  
  
"I killed him," he said plainly and quietly. His gaze was fixed non- committaly on a point on the floor.  
  
"Her, sir," Carter corrected. "Don't you mean you killed her? You killed Wadjet?"  
  
Jack shook his head. "That's not what I mean. I mean I killed HIM."  
  
"Who?"  
  
Jack couldn't bring himself to say it. Didn't want to even admit it to himself. But he had to. He had to talk about it, somehow. Otherwise it would eat him up inside. He took a deep breath...  
  
"Charlie."

#  
  
16:00 July 24th, 1996  
  
This second trip hadn't been as draining as the first, perhaps because he knew what to expect this time. However, the sight that greeted him when the light had gone was one that sent a chill down Jack's spine.  
  
'She wouldn't dare!' he thought.  
  
In this brief moment of his realisation, Jack had let his guard down and Wadjet had struggled free from his grasp. She headed straight for the house. Jack watched in horror as he saw her slip in through the front door. He quickly followed her, knowing fine well that the house would be empty, apart from his son. He and his wife were out the back, sharing sweet nothings.  
  
His heart was in his throat by the time he reached the door. He took the gun from his belt and carefully proceeded into the house.  
  
He made a quick sweep of the ground floor and found nothing, which is what he expected but he had to be sure. With the same degree of caution, he began to climb the stairs.  
  
There were sounds coming from his study.  
  
"Charlie?" he said loud enough to be heard but not so loud that it roused any suspicion from the couple outside.  
  
There was no reply. Only the same shuffling sounds coming from his office.  
  
He was at the top of the stairs now. His heart rate was so fast and loud he could almost hear it echoing around the walls. He approached his study at the end of the hallway.  
  
He kicked the door open, his gun directed into the room, ready to be fired.  
  
"Dad?" Charlie sounded scared to death. And for good reason too. He was being held firmly in place by Wadjet, who was pointing his father's personal firearm at his head.  
  
Jack froze to the spot. He knew what day it was. He knew what had to happen. But he tried to stop it anyway.  
  
"Let him go!" he said weakly. "He's just a kid. He's done nothing to you. Just let him go!"  
  
Wadjet smiled slyly and placed her hand over the boy's mouth, preventing him from screaming.  
  
"NO!" Jack shouted (still not loud enough for the child's parents to hear). He tried to run forward to his son, but was stopped by an energy shield she was controlling.  
  
He could do nothing but watch in horror as the snake emerged from the woman's mouth and burrowed its way into the back of Charlie's neck.  
  
Jack watched his eyes. At first, they showed terror and pain and confusion, all at once. Then suddenly, they burned white hot and became emotionless and cold.  
  
Jack sank to his knees as Wadjet's former host collapsed, dead, on the floor. As she fell, the force-field disengaged. But Jack was too distraught to do anything.  
  
Charlie smiled at him. "Hi dad," he said, his voice metallic and artificial. Wadjet had easily taken the young boy's mind.  
  
Jack was furious. His own son was being use against him. He stood to his feet, tears streaming down his face at the realisation that he had lost his son again.  
  
But Wadjet wasn't finished. She picked up he gun from her former host and pointed it at Jack.  
  
"Don't," Jack pleaded as he watched his 'son' stand and turn the gun towards him.  
  
But Charlie couldn't hear him. Or, more specifically, he couldn't respond. Wadjet was in sole control over him and there as nothing he or his father could do.  
  
Jack knew this too. And he knew how this day ended. It was only now that he was beginning to realise how that end was achieved.  
  
Tears continued to fall down his cheeks, and he just let them. There was no will power in the universe strong enough to hold back the torrent of grief, guilt and anger that was coursing through Jack at the moment. He knew what he had to do.  
  
Closing his eyes, tightly shut, Jack fired his weapon. He heard the ear- shattering shot ring out, followed by the sound of his son hitting the floor.  
  
Breathing heavily, Jack opened his eyes to view Charlie's almost lifeless body in front of him. Wadjet crawled pitifully out of the boy and soon perished before Jack's eyes.  
  
"Dad?" Charlie whispered with what little strength he had left.  
  
Jack scrunched his eyes up as tightly as he could, trying not to be a witness to his own son's demise for a second time.  
  
"CHARLIE!"  
  
It was Sara. Soon she and her husband would be in the office and grieving over their son. Jack had to act quickly.  
  
He scooped the Goa'uld's remains into the canopic jar, before picking up the lifeless corpse of her ex-host. He heard the back door being wrenched open. Knowing 'he' would be soon bounding up the stairs with Sara only feet behind, Jack hauled his load into another room just in time to not be seen. There, he listened and waited...

#  
  
"Sara! Call an ambulance, now!" he heard his own voice command.  
  
Jack felt himself recall the words he had spoken to his son as he waited for the ambulance to arrive. It was strange, to say the least to be hearing it from the next room.  
  
"It's OK, son. Help's coming. Just hang on."  
  
"I'm sorry dad. Please don't be angry," Charlie replied, barely audible.  
  
"I'm not angry, Charlie. I love you, OK. I'm not angry."  
  
Jack's heart fell as he remembered and heard Charlie's final word to him. Suddenly, he understood what he meant.  
  
"Why?..."  
  
Sirens screamed in the street and soon the boy and his parents were swept up and away to the hospital to await the inevitable.  
  
Jack was left in his old house with a new sense of guilt and loss.

#  
  
19:43, August 10th  
  
Carter sat staring at Jack through tear misted eyes. What could she possibly say to that? She already knew how hard it was for him to move on from Charlie's death the first time around. How was he supposed to deal with this?  
  
Through the silence, he sensed her incomprehension of what to do.  
  
"You don't have to say anything, it's OK," he said reassuring her.  
  
"No! It's not OK, sir," she said, beginning to feel a strange mixture of anger and helplessness. "They shouldn't have made you go. You should never have gone through that!"  
  
Jack shook his head. "It had to happen like that and you know it."  
  
Sam wasn't convinced. For once in her life, she was completely disregarding everything she knew about science. This was personal and no scientific theory could settle the deadly sick feeling seeping into her veins.  
  
"If Charlie hadn't died, then I wouldn't have joined the Stargate programme, Teal'c would still be first prime to Apophis, Wadjet would have gotten away with her plan and then where would we be?"  
  
What he was saying was all true but there was still a mechanical, monotone to his voice that betrayed his words for what they really were – meaningless explanations for something he could barely admit to himself had happened.  
  
"We would have got through it," Sam said pitifully.  
  
"Jacob would have died of cancer. We wouldn't have met. Abydos would still be enslaved," Jack carried on, trying to convince himself as well as her that it had to have happened as it did.  
  
"But at what price?" Sam answered him.  
  
Jack looked up at her. "What choice did I have? It was one life or millions the whole galaxy over."  
  
"So, you'd do it again?" Sam questioned coldly.  
  
Jack fixed his gaze on her. "What do you think?" he said maliciously.  
  
Silence crept back between the two of them for a moment. Sam quickly searching to change the subject.  
  
"So what happened in Egypt?"  
  
For a second, a slight smile reached Jack's eyes.  
  
"I started the rebellion," he said boldly.  
  
"THE rebellion?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
At her stunned expression, Jack launched into his story. Of how he had met Ayesha and her father. How she had promised to help him if he helped 'rally the troops' against to Goa'uld. How he had gone head to head against Wadjet while the rest of the rebels had launched their attack.  
  
Sam was spellbound the whole time. "Daniel's gonna be so jealous when he finds out!"  
  
Jack allowed himself a small smile at that little detail.  
  
"What happened to he host?" Sam ventured carefully.  
  
The smile on Jack's face faded as the memory of his son's death filtered back into the foreground of his mind. He hung his head for a moment.  
  
"I took her body out to the woods and buried her by the stream. No-one saw me."  
  
Sam nodded, acknowledging that there would be no more talk of what he had gone through. She stood up and placed his watch beside the canopic jar on the desk.  
  
"Do you want me to take that?" she said, pointing to the jar.  
  
Jack looked at it for a moment, before turning his gaze once more to her understanding face.  
  
"Yeah," he said eventually pulling himself back to reality from the cool blue sanctuary of her eyes.  
  
She smiled sympathetically as she picked up the jar and headed towards the door.  
  
"For what it's worth, Jack," she said as she reached the door. "This place wouldn't be the same without you."  
  
With that she left his office.  
  
Jack sat for a moment after she left. The day's events hadn't quite sunk in yet. He was still reeling from the revelation of everything that had happened in Egypt. The matter with Charlie was different, though. He'd already had nearly ten years to get used to losing him, only now he knew the truth, which in some ways made it harder to bare but was also a release. He knew everything now. Knew it had to have happened like that. That despite the fact he had pulled the trigger, he wasn't solely to blame.  
  
He thought of a moment, surprised to finally find closure for his son's death – albeit slightly stilted at the moment. He smiled realising just how much his team had changed him over the years. Taught him to see things that little bit clearer than he would have before.  
  
Jack picked up his watch and looked at the digital numbers happily displaying the time.  
  
19:56  
  
He'd been gone for ten minutes by now.  
  
But, hey. That was all relative.

#####  
  
Author's Note: As they say on Loony Toons, "That's all folks!" Hope you liked the series (the first one of mine that I've actually completed!). I'll be cracking on with 'Closure' and 'Bed of Roses' as soon as I can, with lots more on the way that is still locked in my head – possibly the scariest place on earth! Anyway, enough of me for now! It's your turn to write something and send me a review!!!!


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